Patriots Sign Niko Koutouvides

Training camp thrives on competition, both between offense and defense as well as between players of the same position.

With the signing of seven-year veteran linebacker Niko Koutouvides, special-teams focused players like Tracy White, Marques Murrell and Jeff Tarpinian have some new competition.

Koutouvides (6-2/238), played the last two years for the Tampa Bay Bucs, after spending time with the Seahawks and Broncos in the past. Scott O’Brien, Patriots special-teams coach, was with the Broncos during Koutouvides’ tenure there.

The former Purdue player and 4th round draft pick totaled 30 tackles during his last two seasons with the Bucs.

What could help Edleman is his Welker’s contract status for next year, but I don’t think they are that happy with his WR production from 2010. Tate is surely also on the bubble, but iof Ocho is considered ‘possession’, who is a deep threat?

Either way, they are going to cut some decent guys who are going to be in the NFL.

Yeah, there are certainly worse problems to have. Edelmann is a stud on PR duty, so I think that earns him a roster spot. He’s easily good enough to be a starter, but still won’t see the field much (unless Wes get injured) because our recieving corps is loaded with good (though not great) talent.

It’s only one pre-season game down so I wouldn’t worry about it so quickly. I think since Ridley shined like he did in game 1 we’ll see alot of Shane Vereen throughout the rest of the remaining pre-season.
Ras-I Dowling, that other 2nd rounder picked…..I had him as a Patriot pick. He’s gonna be versitile and is gonna’ fit nicely into our system in a few differant spot’s.